


The Couple Next Door

by catbel



Category: Captain America - All Media Types, Marvel
Genre: Alternate Universe, Assassination, F/M, Mild Blood, Mild Gore, Mild Language, Murder Family, Murderers, Post-World War II
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-31
Updated: 2015-10-31
Packaged: 2018-04-29 05:43:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,484
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5117633
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/catbel/pseuds/catbel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bucky and Natasha have been together since they found one another during World War II. What they fail to tell their friends and loved ones is that they're assassins for hire.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Couple Next Door

**Author's Note:**

> I had been wondering what to write as a small Halloween special for awhile, but then I read the Lady Killer comics and was inspired to do this quick little drabble. If you're a fan of period pieces and assassin stories I highly recommend the series.

“Natasha, you must give me the recipe for your ambrosia salad. Steve talks about it for days on end after each visit.” Peggy gushed as she took a stack of plates to the kitchen sink.

A melodic laugh lilted throughout the kitchen and carried throughout her and Bucky’s apartment.  “Are you sure you really want to know, Peg? If Steve ate that all the time he’d be as big as the new house you two just bought.”

Peggy chuckled in return, a soapy gloved hand in front of her face in a poor attempt to hide her glee. “We’d have to get a bigger house. He’ll be a good father and that’s all that matters. Don’t think I’m waving a white flag, I’ll figure out your secret one day.” She winked playfully while handing Natasha a plate to dry.

Another boisterous laugh flowed through the kitchen as Natasha placed the plate onto the stack of clean ones. “Girl has to have some secrets, though. Keeps life interesting.”

“Isn’t that the truth!” Peggy pulled the stopper from the drain, the wet rubber gloves coming off her hands with a slick pop. “Thanks for having us over tonight. Next time Bucky and Steve can cook and clean up. The new place should be all settled within the week or so.”

“Ha!” Natasha barked. She dried her hands before fixing a stray hair that had fallen in her face. “Those boys gab more than we do. They’d let the dishes sit until they dissolved if that were possible.”

Peggy snorted in agreement, waddling over to the kitchen table to take a seat. “They do their best. Steve is fine on his own if he’s focused.”

“And why shouldn’t he be focused? He’s got you, don’t he?” Natasha said as she sat besides Peggy.

“Oh, he knows not to cross me. I fired a shot or two at him during the war when I caught him kissing another woman and that was just me having a crush on him.” She smiled fondly at the memory.

Natasha stared a Peggy for a moment before nodding her head as if she could relate to the situation. “Is that right? Can’t say I’ve ever had a quarrel like that with James.”

“But how you two met was romantic,” Peggy was quick to reply. “Like out of a Hollywood film.”

Natasha hummed thoughtfully. “Yes, finding him freezing to death in Russia was the best thing that ever happened to me. I never dreamed the solider I nursed back to health would take me as his wife and bring me to the United States. It’s been a real fairy tale.” She said with practiced ease.

“Peggy, darling?” Steve asked from the kitchen doorway, both women turning to face him. “Everything okay in here? Do you two need any help? I don’t like you on your feet for so long.”

“Nonsense, you and James cleaned last week,” Natasha answered before Peggy. “Besides, you’d just lick my casserole dish clean.” She smirked as Steve turned red.

Steve carded his hand through his hair, his eyes darting to the floor before meeting Natasha’s. “You’re a wonderful cook, Tasha. Bucky sure is lucky to have a gal like you.”

Heavy footsteps stopped at the kitchen as Bucky leaned against Steve, a glass of scotch balanced in his hand. “You gushing about your girl, Rogers?”

“He’s talking about Natasha’s cooking. How do you stay in shape, Bucky? Driving cabs can’t be that much of a work out.” Peggy said, motioning for Steve and James to join them at the table.

“Nat puts me to work around here, I gotta earn my keep. Or so she says.” Bucky said with a lopsided grin. He sat by his wife, taking her hand and intertwining their fingers together.

The four sat and chatted until the clock struck ten. Steve fetched Peggy’s coat, putting it on her lovingly before kissing her on the cheek. “It was great seeing you two. It won’t be the same not living by each other anymore.”

“You’re always welcome to visit, punk.” Bucky replied as he held the door open for the two. After exchanging a pleasant goodbye Bucky closed the door, his and Natasha’s facing morphing to resemble blank slates.

“You were late. What if Peggy needed to lie down?” Natasha muttered in Russian.

Bucky rolled his eyes and scoffed. “Then you should’ve killed the target cleanly.” He unbuttoned the top of his shirt, ruffling his hand in his hair to loosen it from its usual quaffed styling. With Natasha he was able to easily slip into Russian, his years working for HYDRA forever having an effect on him.

Natasha grasped Bucky’s shoulder tightly, her mouth pressed firmly into a thin line. “I will not put them in danger. Don’t you dare act so jaded about what happens if they find out.”

Bucky’s shoulders sagged as he sighed. “I know, I know. There’s just not much we can do in the apartment.”

“Help me clean up.” She said, switching back to English. It was a short walk to the guest room in their two bedroom apartment. Natasha pulled a key from the cord that hung from her neck, opening the door with a creak.

Bucky whistled lowly at the sight before him. Blood painted the walls and he was already thinking about how long it was going to take him to repaint the room over the weekend. Off to the side of the room laid a crumpled body that was mostly red. “Geez, Nat! Couldn’t you just slit his throat and get it over with?” Bucky asked, switching back over to Russian.

“He put up more of a fight than expected. It was bothersome. I should ask for more money to cover the clean up.” She mused while checking for blood under her fingernails.

“Just help me get him wrapped up.” Bucky replied as he began to roll up his sleeves. He bent down to grasp the corpse’s foot only to gasp when the body twitched. “Shit! Nat, he ain’t dead yet!" Bucky swore under his breath in Russian. The familiar sound of heels clicked against the floor and moved past Bucky in a blur. He watched as Natasha held the kitchen knife that had just been cleaned and plunged into the man’s head. “Thanks, doll.”

“Like I said, bothersome.” She said while taking the knife back. An arc of blood splattered onto her dress, causing the assassin to frown. “Remind me to bill the client for a new dress, too."

Bucky chuckled lightly as he went back to wrapping up the body to take downstairs. Peggy had wanted to know how he stayed in shape as a cab driver, he just happened to keep the heavy lifting out of his stories.

“Will you be out long, dear?” Natasha asked as she held the door open for him.

Bucky shook his head, the body wrapped up in a sheet and slung over his shoulder. “Nah, with Steve outta the building I ain’t going to be making a stop on the way home.” He could tell Natasha was sad their friends had moved from Brooklyn out to the suburbs. Outside of their lines of work they didn’t have what was considered normal friends. Bucky had never been one to dream about a house with a white picket fence, a wife with two and a half kids. That had always been Steve’s dream since they were kids, and he was happy his best friend had been able to achieve it after the war. His eyes lingered on Natasha’s face. What was unreadable to most was an open book for him.

“Ya, know…” Bucky started as he shifted the body for better balance. “Steve was telling me there’s a house right next to his that’s going up for sale. Maybe we could go take a look at it when we go visit next week.”

A wide smile split Natasha’s face. “I’d like that. We’d have more rooms to work in and a basement.” Bucky returned the grin, leaning down to give his wife a kiss.

“Don’t wait up for me.” Bucky said as he pulled away and stepped out the door.

Natasha watched him turn down the hallway and listened for the elevator to go down. She sighed, exhausted from a long day of work. Just as she was about to head toward their bedroom the phone rang. “Barnes residence.” Natasha answered as soon as the receiver was up to her ear.  “I see…” She replied to the voice over the phone. “If I take the job I’ll have to charge an after hours fee for the evening.” After negotiating a few terms, Natasha hung up the phone and searched for a piece of paper to leave Bucky a note. With the funds from this job the two of them could easily pay for a new house next week.

 


End file.
